French President Says Country's Auto Industry Will Rebound with Robots, Autonomous Cars

11 years, 1 month ago - 3 October 2013, Autoblog

Like many countries around the world, the recent global economic crisis has hit France particularly hard, and its government is looking for ways to turn that around.

around.

According to Reuters, French president Francois Hollande (pictured above) is hoping that a handful of advanced transportation technologies will spur job and economy growth in the country. Proclaiming "France is a nation of inventors, pioneers and producers," Hollande is reportedly calling upon his country's history of innovation to lead it out of today's economic malaise.

Among these ideas is an autonomous car created by Renault-Nissan, an "ultra-fuel-efficient" vehicle from Peugeot economically priced at 20,000 euros ($26,700 US) and even an electric-powered airplane. The article states that French automakers like Renault and Peugeot are being restricted in terms of manufacturing by employment laws and high labor costs, but an increased use of robots could also help improve France's manufacturing presence.